17 Aug 2017

Border control inadequate, trees at risk - lobby group

From Nine To Noon, 9:30 am on 17 August 2017

The conservation and tree protection organisation The Tree Council, says a new fungal disease wiping out Hawaii's native pohutukawa could easily spread to New Zealand because our border control is so lax. The disease, Rapid O'hi'a, has killed hundreds of thousands of ohi'a trees in Hawaii. Once the fungal disease infects a tree it can die in a matter of days. Kathryn Ryan speaks with Dr Mels Barton of the Tree Council.